Patterson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H. BEST.

GURTAIN FOLDING HANGER.

No. 562,779. Patented June 23, 1896.

ANDREW B GRANAMAPNOTD'UTHO wlsmucwnoc (Nc ModeL) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J.H.BES T. CURTAIN FOLDING HANGER No. 562,779. Patented Julie 23, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I JOHN H. BEST, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

CURTAIN-FOLDING HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,779, dated June 23, 1896. Application filed August 27, 1895. serial No. 560,657. (No modeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. Bnsr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Folding Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in curtain-folding hangers of that general class or type in which the curtains are hung over windows, doors, or other openings, and around beds and other places where curtains are hung to be slidable in one direction to spread them for covering or inclosing such objects or openings, and in an opposite direction to uncover such objects or openings.

The leading object of my invention is to provide curtain-hangers of such general class or type which can be quickly and easily operated, which will unfold and spread the curtains uniformly and evenly when slid in one direction to expand the hangers, and will fold the curtains in. regular and uniform folds when slid in an opposite direction to contract the hangers; and to the end of carrying out this leading object my invention consists in a hanger formed of a series of pivoted bars or levers on the principle of the lazy-tongs, which are suspended in such manner that they may be easily manipulated to expand and contract them, and to which the curtains are attached in such manner that when the system of bars is expanded the curtain will be unfolded and spread out, and when the system of bars is contracted the curtains will be folded in a series of folds of uniform width.

In carrying outthis main object of my invention, which is hereinafter fully described, and made the subject-matter of claims hereto appended, subsidiary improvements have been evolved, which consist in novel structural features, novel organizations of parts, and novel combinations of parts, the separate and collective operations of which parts, their structural peculiarities, novel organizations, and novel combinations are also hereinafter fully described, and respectively made the subject-matter of claims hereto appended.

Mechanism embodying the preferred coinstructive forms of a curtain-folding hanger,

in which the concrete, definite conception of my invention is expressed in a concrete form, is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown the invention carried into eifect in that precise form and organization of parts in which I have successfully practiced it. It will be understood, however, that some or all of said parts may be varied or modified in their structures and organizations without departure from the purview of my invention. v

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a pair of the hangers extended or spread apart to meet each other and sectional plan of doorcasings between which they are suspended; Fig. 2, plan and section, respectively, of same parts shown at Fig. 1, but showing the hangers contracted or drawn together; Fig. 3, an enlarged side elevation showing part of one curtain, the hanger,and part of a door-casin Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional plan in the line i 4 in Fig. 3, seen from below, the top part of the door-casing not shown; Figs. 5 and 6, enlarged perspectives of two forms of hookshaped brackets for supporting the hangers; Fig. 7, an enlarged plan, seen from below, of the adjacent ends of two hangers in their eX- panded form, also showing the adjacent ends of two curtains and lower side of top doorcasing; Fig. 8, an enlarged elevation of a curtain-suspending hook and sectional elevation of the bars and bearing for same; Fig. 9, an enlarged elevation of a hanger-suspending hook and sectional elevation of the bars and bearing for same; Fig. 10, an enlarged sectional elevation of the parts of bars and side elevation of the bearings shown at Figs. 8 and 9, with a rivet-bolt as in central line of pivots for the hanger-bars; Figs. 11 and 12, enlarged modifications of the bearings for the hooks and for the rivet; Fig. 1-3, plan of part of a hanger and suspending-rod, seen from below, and showing a modification of the way the curtain is attached to the hanger Fig. 14:, an enlarged side elevation of part of a"door-frame, part of one curtain, its hanger, and the cords for operating the hanger 3 Fig. 15, an enlarged plan of the parts shown at Fig. lat, seen from Y below.

In the drawings the hangers and curtains are shown in connection with an open door.

- 7, 14, and 15.

The pole A,which carries the hangers, and on which they are slidable to expand and contract them, is supported by bracket-hooks a, one at each end thereof, and a hook a, Figs. 1, 14, and 15, at its mid-length part. One end a of each bracket is fixed to the side A of the door-casin g, its mid-len gth part a preferably fixed to the upper part A of the door-casing and its pendent end formed into a hook a as shown best at Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows a modification of a bracket a, in which the bracket projects from a base-plate a, which is adapted for securing it to a wall or other object, and its part c projects outwardly therefrom in such manner that the hook a will be located in the dooropening.

The pole A can be readily and quickly placed in or removed from the hooks a of either form of bracket shown,without endlong movement of the pole, which rests with its ends against the opposite door-casing.

Each hanger B is formed of a series of bars Z), assembled, disposed, and pivoted to each other on the principle of the well-known lazy-tongs. The central row or line of pivots b are each pivot-formed of ordinary eyes Z2 Fig. 12, or eye with a head 12 on one end and washer b on its other end, Fig. 11, or eye with a washer b on each end, Fig. 10, or in any other way that will secure the bars I) firmly to each other while permitting them to move freely on these axes of flexure, and so that the shanks of the hooks 0 may be fixed therein, Fig. 0, and in such number of said eyes as may be necessary to support the hanger by engaging the hooks C with the poles A. The two outer lines or rows of pivots U are each pivot-formed, as shown at Figs. 10, l1, and 12, or otherwise, to hold the bars I) firmly while permitting them to move freely on these axes of flexure.

The pendent curtain-hooks D are each fixed in one of the eyes of the outer lines or rows of eyes, such as shown in detail at Figs. 10, 11, or 12, by riveting the shank of the hook, or otherwise securing it therein, Fig. 8. Preferably one of the hooks D is fixed at alternate pivots b in each outer row or line thereof, and at pivots in one outer row or line alternating with pivots in the other outer row or line thereof, as shown at Figs. 3, 4, The hooks D may, if desired, be attached to all of the pivots b in one outer row thereof and to all of the pivots in the central row thereof, as shown at Fig. 13. Preferably the hooks are loosely seated in their support-bearings, so that the hooks can be swung on the axes of their pivots, to facilitate engaging the curtains E therewith, and which are suspended therefrom.

Two hangers are preferably located in each doorway or other place, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, and the hook G at the end of each hanger adjacent to a door-easing is engaged with the pole A between the ends a and a of the bracket-hook a, so that said hook not only supports the pole A, but holds one end of the hanger to permit of expanding said hanger, or contracting it, as hereinafter described. The adjacent ends of the hangers are each preferably terminated by a half-length bar I) and a nearly full -length bar I), (see Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 15,) so that when both curtains are expanded the nearly full-length bars I) of the two hangers will overlap and thereby cause the adjacent sides of the curtains to overlap.

Each hanger is operated by a cord G, the main part of which is supported on pulleys carried by brackets g, which are fixed to the upper part A of the door-casing, and the ends 9 g of which extend down to within reach of a person standing on the floor. The cord (3 may be secured to the hanger at any suitable place. As a preferred place, I have shown it, Figs. 14 and 15, attached near the free end of the hanger, by securing the cord to the extended upper end of the shank of one of the hooks D. By drawing the end of the cord downwardly the hanger will be expanded and the curtain extended, or spread out, as shown at same figures. Whichever hanger of the two is expanded first, its free end will come in contact with the hook (I. at the central part of the door, and arrest its further expansion when the curtain fixed thereto is fully extended, and when the other hanger is expanded by similar means, its free end will come in contact with the free .end of the first one extended, and with the long bars Z) overlapping, as shown, and as hereinbefore described. By drawing the end g of the cord downwardly, the hanger will be contracted, and the curtain folded in neat folds of uniform width, as shown best at Fig. 4. If the curtains are attached to the hanger, as shown at Fig. 13, the folds will also be formed of uniform widths, but narrower than when the curtains are attached to the hanger, as shown in the other figures.

The hangers and curtains may be quickly and easily put in place and removed by simply disengaging the hooks C from the pole A and lifting the cord G from the pulleys g. The pole A is removed by simply lifting it and with drawing it laterally from the hooks a.

I desire it understood that I do not limit my claims to the details of construction shown, but regard myself as entitled to such variations therefrom as fall within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new is--= 1. In a curtain-hanger, in combination,bars pivotally connected on the principle of lazytongs, means for suspending a curtain therefrom, hooks projecting upwardly from said bars, a pole and a supporting-bracket, with abent-over portion having a hook formed therein for sustaining the pole, and at such distance from its main body portion that one of said upwardly-projecting hooks located in rear thereof will secure one end of the system LOO of pivoted bars While said system of bars is ellel when the sets of bars are expanded, subexpanded or contracted, substantially as destantially as described. 10 scribed. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 2. In combination, the two sets of pivoted in presence of two Witnesses 5 bars, fixed at one end, and each terminated JOHN H. BEST. at their adjacent ends by a substantially fulllVitnesses:

length bar and a half-length bar, which sub- E. L. POUND,

stantially fulllength bars overlap and lie par F. PATTERSON. 

